Ninja World: I, Kisame Hoshigaki, am no longer human!

Soon, Kisame arrived at the middle of the Divine Tree and walked along a vine-woven path into the depths of the leaves until he saw a beautiful little wooden house.

crunch.

Kisame pushed open the door and entered. As soon as he entered, he smelled a faint, feminine fragrance. He saw a voluptuous figure with her back to him, leaning against the window, resting her chin on her hand, humming softly as she admired the view outside.

"Long time no see. You seem to be in a good mood," Kisame greeted.

"Who?!"

Tsunade was startled, her muscles tensing as she abruptly turned around. It was simply impossible for someone to have approached the wooden house and appeared behind her without her noticing.

Therefore, Tsunade immediately went into battle mode as if facing a formidable enemy.

"It's me." Kisame smiled slightly, removed his chakra disguise, and spread his hands to Tsunade, indicating that she should relax and not be so nervous.

"Lord Kisame? It really is you! You're awake!"

Tsunade was taken aback at first, then her eyes lit up with surprise, and then she did something that Kisame had not expected.

Whoosh.

She rushed straight towards Kisame, threw herself into his arms, and rubbed her head against his chest, as happy as a child.

Kisame was startled by the woman's delicate fragrance and astonishing softness so close to him, but quickly realized, "You are... a live slug?"

Tsunade wouldn't call him "Kisame-sama," but Katsuyu would. Furthermore, the woman's demeanor, tone, and voice were very different from the Tsunade Kisame remembered, making him realize that this woman wasn't Tsunade.

"Well, it's me."

"Tsunade," or rather, "Katsuyu," she whispered. Realizing her lapse in composure, she blushed and released her grip on Kisame's arms. "I'm sorry, I was too excited just now. Please forgive me if I offended Lord Kisame..."

"I don't mind. But Tsunade would probably mind if she found out." Kisame joked with a smile, savoring the intimate contact from earlier in his mind, feeling... quite comfortable.

Upon hearing this, the slug blushed even more. To ease her embarrassment, she quickly said to Kisame, "Lord Kisame, please wait a moment. I will wake up Lady Tsunade immediately and return control of the body to her."

"Please don't."

Kisame grabbed Misaki's shoulder, stopping her from doing so, and explained, "You should wait until I leave before you exchange bodies with her. Otherwise, if that woman finds out she just hugged me, she'll probably go crazy and fight me to the death."

"Alright, I'll do as Kisame-sama says."

Katsuyu thought about it for a moment and wholeheartedly agreed. The only conflict between her and Tsunade was Kisame; one liked him, and the other hated him. This problem was destined to trouble the two of them, or rather, Kisame as well. The relationship between the three of them might become complicated from then on, until a solution acceptable to everyone was found.

"By the way, should I inform everyone in the village now about your return? They'll be overjoyed if they know Lord Kisame is still alive," the slug asked after regaining her senses.

"No need, let's just maintain the status quo. After all, I put a lot of effort into faking this death."

Kisame plopped down on the sofa and said with a smile.

Now, everyone in the ninja world except Tsunade and Katsuyu believes he is long dead. Kisame used to be in the open, but now he hides in the shadows, making it easier for him to carry out his plans.

As a villain, it's better to be cautious and careful; being a behind-the-scenes mastermind is quite good.

From this moment forward, Kisame will hide in the shadows of the ninja world, transforming his immense power into a giant hand to manipulate everything at will.

247. Live Slug, Snow Woman, and Leaf Village

Inside the wooden house, Kisame lay back on the sofa with his eyes closed.

His perception, centered on this place, quickly spread throughout the entire Hidden Mist Village, allowing him to clearly "see" the movements of everyone in the village and what was happening in every corner.

Yes, this treehouse is quite nice. Not only is the air fresh and the scenery beautiful, but most importantly, it's very secluded, making it a perfect hiding place for him, the mastermind behind it all.

The only problem is that this is Tsunade's private room, and she probably won't let Kisame live here, or even allow him to build another treehouse next door. In that case, he can only come here to meet Kisame in secret when Tsunade isn't around.

"Lord Kisame..."

Just then, the slug gently shook Kisame's shoulder, and after he opened his eyes, she said with some concern, "Um, the time I agreed with Lady Tsunade is approaching. She's about to wake up from her slumber and take over this body."

"Oh, looks like I should make a run for it."

Upon hearing this, Kisame stood up somewhat reluctantly. Noticing the slug's nervousness, he patted her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, if Tsunade gives you a hard time, be sure to tell me. I'll teach her a lesson and make sure she obeys."

"Mmm." The slug nodded, blushing.

Seeing this, Kisame laughed heartily. After all, the woman before him, though her soul was that of a slug, possessed the unmistakable appearance and body of Tsunade herself. The fact that Tsunade, usually so irritable and quick-tempered, always clashing with him, was now displaying such a shy expression gave Kisame a very strange feeling.

Well, it's quite interesting.

crunch.

Kisame bid farewell to Katsuyu, pushed open the door of the treehouse, and left as the latter watched him with a smile.

The moment he left, the smile vanished from the live slug's face. He seemed a little dizzy, staggered back a few steps, and plopped down on the sofa. He slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

A moment later, the woman opened her eyes again, stretched, and stood up.

Tsunade rubbed her forehead, processing the memories of the slug taking control of her body during her slumber. At first, everything seemed normal, nothing unusual, but soon Tsunade's pupils contracted, and she froze on the spot.

The man is back.

Yes, the guy Tsunade hated so much had awakened from his two-year hibernation. And, the first thing he did upon returning was to have intimate contact with her; the two of them actually... hugged.

Click click.

Tsunade gritted her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead, and growled angrily, "Live Slug, what have you done?"

"Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry. I got too excited when I saw Kisame and didn't consider your feelings..." A soft, slug-like voice came from the depths of Tsunade's heart, apologizing to her repeatedly.

"...Never mind, it's not a big deal. I understand that you like him."

Tsunade suppressed her anger, not wanting to make things too difficult for Katsuyu, but she couldn't help but say, "Why did you have to choose that guy of all people? What's so good about him?"

"Lord Kisame, isn't that good enough?" the live slug said softly.

"Hmph, just keep being so stubborn." Tsunade snorted coldly, too lazy to argue with the live slug, picked up an apple, sat on the sofa, crossed her legs, and started eating.

"Lady Tsunade, you're actually quite happy about Kisame waking up, aren't you? Why are you pretending not to care?" the slug suddenly asked. It shared a body with Tsunade and could often sense her emotions.

"Happy? I'm not happy at all."

Tsunade frowned, and unconsciously squeezed the half-eaten apple to pieces with a snap. As she threw the apple crumbs into the trash can, she explained, "If I had to say what makes me happy, it's that guy is back. Now I don't have to worry about the affairs of Kirigakure anymore. How could I not be happy?"

"But you haven't really been concerned about village affairs, have you? Haven't you left it all to Master Yuan and Terumi Mei?" the slug muttered under her breath.

Upon hearing this, Tsunade's face twitched, and after holding it in for a long time, she finally shouted, "Shut up!"

It was clear that she was getting anxious.

As night fell, a full moon hung high in the dark night sky.

A gentle evening breeze rustled the millions of leaves of the sacred tree. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, forming beautiful beams of light that shone upon the land of Kirigakure.

Kisame returned to that familiar little courtyard and heard the voices of women and children.

Natsumi, Mikiko, and Karura are all widows who were rescued by Kisame and sought refuge in Kirigakure with their children. Over the past two years, they have experienced the Fourth Shinobi World War, which has deepened their bond with Kirigakure. They have gradually adapted to life there and eventually become part of the village.

In the living room, Queen Sara of Loulan was playing with a group of children: Haku, Kimimaro, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, Fu, and Natsumi's one-year-old son, Subaru. As for Yuki-onna, whom Kisame was most concerned about, she sat quietly on the sofa, a smile on her face, watching everyone play.

However, upon closer inspection, one can still notice a faint sadness lingering between her brows. Although she usually tries her best to hide it, it occasionally slips out unintentionally.

Late at night.

As the adults and children returned to their rooms to sleep, the lively laughter and chatter faded away, and the courtyard quickly fell silent.

crunch.

The snow woman pushed open the door, took off her sky-blue coat, revealing a white sweater underneath, and walked somewhat dejectedly to the bedside, where she sat down.

Suddenly, in the deathly quiet room, her shoulders trembled slightly, and she began to sob softly. Her helpless and heartbroken state was truly pitiful.

Over the past two years, she has gradually come to terms with the devastating news of Kisame's death and has been trying to move on from her grief. She has focused her life on her children, hoping to raise them to become outstanding ninjas when they grow up.

But every night, when all is quiet, Yuki-onna can't help but think of Kisame, of the wonderful times they spent together, and of those sleepless nights.

Just then, a pair of strong arms appeared silently behind the Snow Woman and embraced her.

"Who?!"

The snow woman was startled, her whole body tensed, and she instinctively wanted to cry for help. But the next second, a voice that she had longed for and knew so well rang in her ears: "It's me, I'm back."

She slowly turned around, and although the light was dim, she could still see that familiar face clearly.

"Kisame-san, is it really you?" Yuki-onna asked in disbelief, reaching out to touch Kisame's face.

The scene before her eyes was so unreal that she wondered if she was hallucinating or dreaming.

"I'm sorry for keeping this from you for so long." Kisame gave a heartfelt smile, took Yuki-onna's hand, and told her everything.

After hearing this, the Snow Woman burst into tears again, but this time, it was tears of joy.

Silent all night.

The next morning, the Snow Woman woke up in bed and subconsciously turned her head to look at the side of her pillow, only to find it empty.

However, she looked completely satisfied, a smile playing on her lips as she got up, dressed, and happily walked out of the room into the courtyard.

"Sister Yuki-onna, you seem very happy today. Is there something that makes you happy?" Sara noticed that Yuki-onna was a little different from usual and couldn't help but ask with a curious look.

"Am I happy?" the Snow Woman asked with a smile.

"Of course! I haven't seen you this happy in a long time. Share any good news you have so I can share in your joy!" Sarah said, clinging to the Snow Woman's arm like a little girl, acting all coquettish.

"This is... a secret." The Snow Woman smiled mysteriously, and no matter how Sara tried to probe, she remained silent.

The return of Kisame is the village's most important secret. As far as Yuki-onna knows, only the Sixth Mizukage, Tsunade, knows about it. Therefore, she must do her best to keep this secret and not tell anyone until the day Kisame reveals himself.

Kisame walked along the streets of Kirigakure.

After giving Yuki-onna a good talk last night, he rushed to the medical department building this morning and found the ward where Yekura was.

This is a luxurious single hospital room, guarded by ninjas from the Hidden Mist Anbu, who take turns standing guard around the clock, a situation that has been ongoing for over a year.

Following Tsunade's orders, Kirigakure will never abandon Pakura. Even if she remains in a vegetative state, in a coma for five, ten, or fifty years, Kirigakure will continue to take meticulous care of her until she dies.

buzzing.

Inside the ward, a slight ripple suddenly appeared in the space. Immediately afterward, a black door materialized out of thin air, and Kisame's tall figure slowly emerged from it.

The guards outside the door were completely unaware of his arrival.

Kisame walked to the bedside, lowered his head, and looked at Yekura lying on the bed. Due to severe burns, her whole body was wrapped in white bandages, with only half of her face exposed. Before she fell into a coma, although nurses regularly trimmed her hair, it was still very long, a head of green hair like grass.

"Thanks for your hard work."